


A Gradual Convergence

by onyxshinigami



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 08:03:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9594890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onyxshinigami/pseuds/onyxshinigami
Summary: The story of a kiss.





	

“Remember that time you did a thing and something happened? That was pretty cool, right?”

Sera smiled brightly, her enthusiasm glowing all around her, her ragged blond hair wild and swinging about her ears. She rocked back and forth recklessly balancing her stool on one leg. Leaf didn’t know how she managed to stay upright.

“I… may need a few more details than that,” Leaf caught her smile; mirrored it on his own face.

“That’s not important,” she shook her head. “What’s important is that you,” she jabbed a finger at his chest, “did the thing!” She waved her arms in the air in a wide, sweeping arc over her head. “You’re making it work and making it better for us little people. Some of the nobles are shitting themselves trying to get in your favour, and it’s making things better, so thank you, I guess. From them. And me too, I suppose.” The four legs of the stool thunked to the floor with a sharp bang as Sera stood up, grabbed her tankard from the table top and raised it to the roof. “Three cheers, yeah?!” she bellowed.

For no other reason than drunken joy the tavern lit up with a chorus of cheers. Krem added to the noise by thumping his fist on the table, creating a pounding heartbeat that underscored the life of the tavern crowd. Sera missed her stool as she tried to sit back down, landing in a bounce on the floor, her plaidweave legs straight up in the air for only a moment before she regained her feet. If you hadn’t been looking at her, you would have missed the moment entirely.

“Are you alright?” Leaf asked, laughter tinting his words.

“Best!” she grinned. Maryden struck up a lively toe-tapping tune, feeding into the energy of the night. “Time for a go, yeah? Hey Widdle!” Sera roared and disappeared from the table in search of her preferred dance partner.

Leaf watched the dancing crowd for a while, smiling as he finished his dark red wine. No one moved in to fill Sera’s empty space.

Leaf tried not to notice, but it was almost impossible not to. People fell silent whenever he entered the tavern. Some would leave as soon as they finished their drinks. Others fell to whispering, their nervous glances darting his direction. Leaf limited his visits to business, entering only when he needed someone; Cole or Sera, the Iron Bull or Krem. It seemed to keep the people at ease. They needed a place to unwind and relax, and the presence of the wild Dalish elf, the Herald of Andraste, the dread Inquisitor, did not set minds at ease.

Some were different, sending smiles his way; their hope and faith in him making him uneasy. They too, kept their distance. A few friendly words, superficial and empty. Nothing more. At least they were friendly and meant well. The whispering just out of earshot was what bothered him the most; setting his skin crawling and shivering echoes of unpleasant memory down his spine. 

 

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

 

“Does he really need to be here? Clan Murchadha has only their Keeper and First. Surely they could take him?” Ceallach’s low voice spoke quietly from across the fire.

The day had been a quiet one. The clan had traveled far, following the migration of their halla, who were heading south for the summer months. The journey had been a pleasant one today, a steady pace along smooth rolling riverbanks. Hills rose in the distance. Soon, the clan would cross over those hills and turn towards the forests where they would rest as the halla nurtured their young in the forests abundant vegetation, growing tall and strong before the colder months settled in and the clan headed further north once more.

The little mage lay close to the fire. He hadn’t been quite asleep, so the quiet voices of the guardians caught his attention. His parents were ahead of the clan; one scouting the path and the other hunting for food. Even if they had been in camp, he would not have been close to them. They saw his existence as a consequence of their actions, nothing more. Since his ability as a mage had surfaced, they had ceased to speak to him, look at him, acknowledge him at all.

The boy kept his eyes shut tight against the night, lest their reflecting glow betray him.

“The child is learning well. He is quick and steady. There is no need to fear him any more than you would fear your own daughter.” Keeper Istimaethoriel replied.

“But-” Sive bit her own words off. After a moment, she started again, her tone haughty and derisive. “Eimhear and Beircheart don’t bother with him at all. It’s unnatural.”

The hot weight of shame pressed down on him, crushing his chest, making it hard to breathe.

“You fault the child for the failings of his parents?” the Keeper asked quietly. “They bore him with no love in their hearts, true. They are… complicated. Leave them be.”

“If the humans we trade with find we have so many-”

“And who do you plan on telling we have children that have manifested magic in their blood? Will you seek out the mage killers on your own?” The Keeper’s words were hard; her voice low and dangerous. “Would you not fear the safety of your own child if they drew near?”

Sive’s jaw closed with an audible snap. Ceallach shifted nervously.

“Templars will not see one mage child as different from another. We would lose all four of them.” a soft shift of gravel and sand as the Keeper turned away from Sive, prodding the campfire with a stick, the sharp pop of wood sending echoes into the air. “Would you care to tell the others why their children have been taken to a human Circle? Why they would never see them again? Because of your fear? Because of one child?”

“There’s something wrong with that boy, Keeper.” Ceallach added, trying to support his elder sister. “The way he stares; his silence. He’s just wrong.”

Keeper Istimaethoriel sighed. “He is … different. But consider his situation. He is only a child. He deserves care.”

“I’m not saying we throw him to the wolves, Keeper. But surely someone else would actually want him! Perhaps they could-”

“If you are so concerned with the boy's welfare, why do you not take him in?”

The soft suggestion brought down a veil of still silence. The tension and discomfort was palpable.

“I have been blessed with three children, Keeper.” Sive responded tightly, rubbing a hand over her swelling belly. “Four when the winter draws near. My family is large enough.”

“The child is cared for, by all of us. As is our duty” the Keeper sighed. “We have plenty of food. He is not a drain of resources, if that is another argument you wish to broach. Oengus is a good mage and a patient teacher. We are teaching all the children how to use their gifts. You needn't concern yourself with the boy any further.” A shuffling of sound told the boy the keeper had moved, signaling an end ot the conversation. Her decision final.

“He is dangerous, Keeper. You saw what he did to-!”

“Enough!” the Keeper snapped.

The little boy clutched his blanket tightly, too afraid to move; too afraid to breathe. He knew what they were speaking of. The night of the raiders. The night his magic came to him. The cold. The ice. The dead.

When the Keeper spoke once more, her voice was firm and calm. “I will not sacrifice a child to fear. We are better than this.”

Sive and Ceallach remained silent.

“If the child cannot control his magic, if he is a danger to the clan, steps will be taken.” The Keeper sighed deeply. “For now, he is of no more danger than any of our other mage children. Let the matter rest.”

The boy listened as footsteps stalked off into the night. Sive returning to her family, their tents set close to the river. Quieter feet moved off closer to the treeline. Ceallach and his new wife desired a little space to themselves. A sigh and a crackle of embers. Keeper Istimaethoriel remaining near the fire.

The little mage lay still and silent, his hip aching and legs beginning to cramp. Too afraid to turn over lest he draw more unwanted attention to himself.

The night was long and dark.

 

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

 

Movement broke his reverie.

Leaf shook his head, clearing off the grey mist of memory. 

Cole.

The young man had appeared at his side, pale blue eyes peeking out from under his floppy hat and a fringe of fine blond hair. He appeared concerned.

Leaf smiled, trying to assure the spirit of compassion that he was okay; it was just a memory.

“It hurts.” Cole said.

Leaf did not answer, not with words anyway. He knew it would be foolish to try and hide his feelings from Cole. After all, the young man was only trying to help.

“Yes, but it’s okay.” he smiled to try and ease some of Cole’s sadness.

“No. It isn’t. It still hurts. I want to help, but it’s all tangled up so tight. If I tug it it will tear. Ripping, slipping, sliding into the jaws of despair. Falling apart from the seams that make you whole. I want to help but I can’t make you forget. You wouldn’t be you if I did.” Cole looked so distressed, so hurt, Leaf’s heart ached for him.

“No, Cole. Please. I’m alright. It’s not as bad as it seems.” Leaf reached out to touch Cole’s hand, but pulled back, unsure if the touch would be welcome.

“It’s alright. It’s good for you. Me too. I can feel so clearly when you do. The small joys dancing and the clever corners of quiet, the shifting blankets of peace. It’s good. It helps. May I?” Cole sat on the chair next to Leaf, resting his hand palm up on the table. Leaf was confused for a moment before he realized what Cole was asking. He smiled and reached out, embracing the offered hand, laying his fingers gently around the other. A soft grip, a tentative embrace. Two people seeking comfort and care, each wanting to help the other. Sharing warmth and light and affection, their silence comfortable and calming. They listened quietly to Maryden’s songs, watching the waves of people rolling up to the bar time after time as the night passed away.

 

*** *** ***

 

From his corner seat under the window, Iron Bull watched them.

They were an odd pair, to be sure. A Dalish and a demon, both small and fragile in appearance. One hiding his face behind waves of thick brown hair, the other hiding his gaze with his hat. Neither one of them should have a place in a human lead, Chantry rebelling Inquisition. The two of them sat quietly in the middle of a crowd, holding hands at a bar table, letting the noise wash over them, appearing untroubled.

Bull knew better.

Leaf’s face had fallen not long after Sera left. Bull recognized the signs of a bad memory winding its way through the brains. Not a moment after, Cole appeared. The kid was very attuned to the Inquisitor and the two spent a lot of time together. Most times Leaf came to the tavern he snuck in the top entrance, sought the rafters where Cole could frequently be found. Bull went up there once, when Leaf and Cole were away from Skyhold, to satisfy his curiosity. He stood with his back to the corner, as he had seen Cole do. The voices and whispers from down below filtered straight up to his sensitive ears. He heard people speaking as clearly as if they were just in front of him. By shifting his attention from one voice, one conversation to another, Bull could hear almost everything being discussed in the tavern. He could imagine how chaotic it must sound on the nights when the tavern was full near to bursting and wondered how Cole could hear anything at all.

The tavern was loud, boisterous, and bustling. People laughing and drinking and dancing and shouting, and there they sat in silence and solitude. Small smiles on their faces now as they held hands and looked everywhere but at one another.

Cole would look at you and stare into your soul. You felt his gaze on you, in you, looking out from you behind your own eyes. Leaf’s eyes danced over your face, looking over your shoulder, gaze three inches above or below or behind, eyes never quite meeting yours.

They didn’t mean to, but they unsettled so many people.

Solas was too quick to accept and urged the others to embrace Cole as a unique spirit. Vivienne was staunch in her stance; not giving one inch to Cole. Cole, in turn, tried his best to explain that he wasn’t what she thought he was. He was something else, and he just wanted to help, but she wouldn’t listen. Cole had decided that was okay. He was, and she was, and that was it.

Iron Bull was starting to find Cole a little easier to be around. He had to remind himself sometimes that Cole wasn’t a person. It was too easy to forget. 

Leaf took way too much in stride for Iron Bull’s liking. The elf had been beaten into the dust time and time again only to pick himself up, brush the dirt off, and continue forward. Sometimes it took longer to recover than others, but he still kept going. He recruited people to the Inquisition and treated then with respect. He listened to them and asked questions. He was genuinely interested in them as people, not just as soldiers, or mages, or mercenaries. Bull suspected it was why Cole was so drawn to the elf; he cared about everyone. He showed mercy when it was needed, and was coldly efficient when meting out justice. Like calling to like. Mercy and Compassion.

Bull liked the little elf. He was smart, cautious, and wielded his magic with crafty precision and graceful control. At least, that was how Dalish and Vivienne described it to him. Bull just knew that when Leaf wanted something dead, it died quickly and silently. Sometimes Bull didn’t even have to move before Leaf, Vivienne and Cole had destroyed whatever had come across their path. Left him feeling a little inadequate at times, but it was such a marvelous sight to behold. He couldn’t complain. Besides, the Inquisitor always took him dragon hunting.

They two of them had been flirting, a bit. It was touch and go. Leaf was sometimes bold, sometimes shy, and sometimes he didn’t even manage to say anything at all, just spending time in Bull’s company.

Bull really liked sparring with Leaf at his side. They would train against Cassandra and Vivienne, or Blackwall and Dorian, and the courtyard would light up with flashing blades and ethereal magic. The times they trained against Vivienne and Blackwall, Bull felt as if he had thrown himself up against a stone wall for twenty minutes and had nothing to show for it but a broken shoulder. The stone wall probably had more give to it. Those two might not like each other, but damn, did their abilities complement one another. Between Vivienne’s barriers and Blackwall’s ghost wall, it was a tough nut to crack. Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn’t, but everyone left the field with a smile, deeply appreciative that they didn’t have to face one another on the battlefield for real.

Bull sat quietly, flirted with the passing servers who refilled his drink, and watched the elf and the spirit at the table on the far side of the room.

 

*** *** ***

 

Cole smiled and slipped his hand from Leaf’s.

“That was a blast, yeah?” Sera crashed into the chair next to Leaf. Her cheeks were glowing pink, her hair stuck in places to her forehead with sweat. She looked absolutely alive and happy. Leaf grinned, feeling a warm glow of affection in his chest. Her spirit was so bright and bold, he couldn’t help but love her.

“You may have worn a hole or two in the floor,” he said.

“Ah. Cabot can fix that can’t he?” she replied before grabbing a mug from the table and drinking it straight down. “Anyway, you haven’t, so come on!”

“I haven’t what? Wait!” Leaf stumbled to his feet as Sera’s firm grip on his arm pulled him out of his chair. “I don’t know how-”

“What? To dance? Nuffink to it. You just move your feet and let the rest follow! Let’s go. I love this song!” Sera pulled him out into the middle of the crowd and started hopping about, waving her arms above her head and shaking all about. Leaf, laughing to cover the self-conscious fear, simply shuffled about as she suggested. Sera took his arms and spun him about, then twirled the both of them about in a large circle. She jumped into the air, hooting and hollering and he laughed, her joy infectious and beautiful.

They danced together for a few more songs before Maryden announced she was taking a short break. Sera waved and bounded away. Leaf guessed she went to look for Dagna again. He turned back to where he had been sitting before but Cole was gone, and the table they had shared was occupied by others. Leaf cast his gaze about the tavern, looking for a familiar face. He didn’t want to go back to his quarters yet. He was actually having a bit of fun.

He looked over by the stairs and saw the familiar form of Iron Bull sitting with his back to the wall. Bull appeared to be flirting with the server that had brought him a drink. Leaf smiled. Bull was such a good flirt. Leaf had begun to feel comfortable flirting with Bull. He didn’t think the other man was taking it seriously, why would he? Leaf felt safe, knowing the Bull would flirt with just about anyone. Leaf found the idea of sex interesting in its own way, but he’d never found anyone he wanted to, well, do it with. Leaf made his way over to where Bull was sitting just as the server moved off. She gave him a once over and a smile; he mirrored her smile and nodded as she passed.

“Hey, how you doing?”

“I’m well, Bull. You?” Leaf asked, standing next to the small table that had room enough for Bull’s resting elbow and his drinks.

“Enjoying the scenery,” Bull grinned. “So many redheads. Mmmm!”

Leaf looked away, carrying a quick glance over the crowd. His brown hair slipped from behind his ear as his neck twisted, curtaining half of his face. He reached up and tucked it back into place.

“May I sit?” he asked.

“Of course. You didn’t need to ask.” Bull sat up a little straighter, moved his glass closer so Leaf had room to place a drink for himself if he wanted.

“I… Didn’t want to impose, or interrupt anything,” he said as he sat down.

“Eh. All good. You want something to drink? The server’s coming back again.”

Leaf asked the woman for some red wine. She nodded politely before asking Bull if there was anything, special, she could get for him.

“Maybe later,” he replied. His gaze lingered on her ample backside as she walked away, a sturdy sashay that spoke of strength and sensuality. “So, Sera’s got you having fun. Nice to see.”

“It’s hard not to have fun when Sera’s around.”

“Try telling that to Vivienne,” Bull grinned.

Leaf couldn’t think of anything to say to that, so he simply remained silent, enjoying the company while he waited for more wine.

 

*** *** ***

 

“I am confident that good things will come from our joint efforts. I wish we would have had more time to talk, but perhaps that will happen another day. We will keep you posted on our progress and hope you can visit us again soon.” Leaf bowed to the Duke and Duchess de Something-or-Other to signal the end of their visit.

Josephine curtsied cheerfully and escorted the elderly couple out the door of her office with polite sentiments and elegant smiles. Leaf remained standing politely by the fireplace as the Ambassador reiterated his sentiments and goodbyes again at the entrance to the main hall. When the exterior door shut it was a welcome sound, one that meant an end the last of the days official meetings. When Josephine returned to the room and shut the interior door behind her, leaning against it with a sigh, he knew it was safe to let his guard down. He sank into the wooden chair once more, resting his elbows on his knees and gripping his hair tightly in both hands, clenching and releasing fists, scratching briefly at his scalp before rubbing and pressing the palms of his hands to his eyes hard enough to see a black and white chessboard pattern behind his eyelids.

“You did well, Inquisitor. The duchess seemed quite charmed by your tales of the halla. I am glad she warmed up to you. Her influence is a small, but crucial key in the Game.”

“Thank Vivienne, Josephine. She’s the one who informed me the duchess was an avid equestrian in her youth.”  
“Common ground, Inquisitor?” Josephine smiled.

“Close enough, Ambassador,” he chuckled, recalling their conversation in Haven. Was it so very long ago, or just yesterday? Time felt as if it had been moving oddly ever since the Temple of Sacred Ashes, and it was no fault of Tevinter mages.

Leaf stretched his arms in front of him, rolled his aching neck in a circle, hearing the delicate crunch and cracks of his bones as he moved. “Thank you, Josephine. For everything.”

“Only my duty, Inquisitor,” she waved a hand as she went back to her desk. Leaf stood, arched his back, and bid her farewell, heading to his room to slip into less formal clothing. The stiff neck of his shirt was choking- irritating him, and the lines and seams of his pant legs were pressing his skin in an itching manner. A hot bath and soft clothing should ease some of the pressure out of his bones.

He entered the main hall, nodding and waving to people as they acknowledged his presence, and turned left to the guarded door that lead to his room. He almost made it when a low voice called out to him. Leaf stopped, turning to wait as the Iron Bull walked up.

“Hey, I just got a letter from Skinner and Dalish. I thought you might want to read it. They’re enjoying their vacation.”

Leaf nodded to Bull and inclined his head towards his door. Bull followed the elf quietly up the stairs. Skinner, Dalish, and a few other of Bull’s Chargers had gone to Val Royeaux. If anyone asked, the pair were on an anniversary trip. Truthfully, Skinner was checking with her contacts, trying to get as much information as possible on the situation in Orlais. Between the Chargers contacts in the Orlesian alienages and backstreets, the Friends of Red Jenny, and Leliana’s Nightingales, the Inquisition was well armed with information.

Leaf went to his wardrobe, undressing and listening as the Iron Bull quickly summarized the letter’s contents. By the time he had slipped into a soft blue cotton shirt and his favourite light brown leather pants, curling his bare toes into the rug beneath his feet, Bull had finished with the news and was quiet.

“You okay boss? You look… drained.”

“Just a little tired. Too many people today. Too much talking.”

“I’ll leave you be; let you rest.” Bull inclined his head and turned to go. Leaf almost let him go.

“Wait. Bull, could you… would you help me, please?”

“Sure boss. What do you need?”

“Touch, please?” Leaf pressed two fingers to his temple, then the juncture of his neck and shoulders. “Sera told me once you helped her feel better.”

“Oh. Sure. I can do that.” Bull flexed his fingers and gave a little grin. “Would you like to sit?”

Leaf pointed to the bed. He crawled up onto it and sat cross-legged, his back to Bull. Bull moved behind him, close enough Leaf could feel his warmth. He placed his large hands on Leaf’s shoulders, his long, strong fingers curling down over Leaf’s collar bone thumbs resting gently on the back of the elf’s neck.

“If something hurts, say ‘Ow’.”

Leaf huffed a quiet laugh and closed his eyes. Bull pressed and poked a few places along his neck and shoulders. Leaf endured the prodding, unpleasant as it was to him, having seen Iron Bull do this to Sera and Cassandra before. This was how Bull would know where to touch, and how to do it. Leaf pressed his tongue between his teeth, and waited.

“Hmm. Let’s see here…” Bull shifted behind him, and the position of his hands changed. The pressure came and went in waves. Firm and strong, a steady force. Pressure diving down into his body and receding slowly. He held still, at first; letting Bull press and prod and pull tired muscle from aching tension into warm, soothed softness. If Bull asked him to lean forward, he did. If Bull asked him to lean back, he did. After a while he felt himself moving with Bull without direction, leaning into his touch, pressing back and up and closer. He ached and Bull made the ache go away. He was being warmed by Bull’s hands the way the sun warms the earth. He sighed.

“I take it you’re enjoying yourself?”

“Oh, yes,” he moaned. “I can’t tell you the last time I ever felt this good.” He leaned back against Bull, his head lolling lazily on a loose neck. “Please, don’t stop.”

A soft grunt from above and the Iron Bull continued, pressing deeply with fingertips, rolling out muscle with knuckle and thumb, pressing and smoothing warm palms over the wings of Leaf’s shoulder blades.

Leaf sighed and hummed, groaned and gasped, and made sounds that he had never heard himself make before. He leaned back into Bull’s warmth, seeking the deep pressure, the strong touch.

He tilted his head back and gazed up. Warm and content.

The Iron Bull leaned down, pressing their lips together. A soft, gentle pressure.

A kiss.

Oh.

A shudder ran up Leaf’s spine and he shivered. That was… rather nice. Strange in its newness. He wasn’t quite sure what he thought of it just yet. The Iron Bull left a tingle on his lips. He pressed them together tightly between his teeth and ran his tongue over them quickly as he thought.

“Would… would you do that again? Please. If, if it’s okay. If you want to.”

The Iron Bull’s gaze flicked over Leaf’s face before he smiled, leaning down to share another kiss with him. This one lingered just a moment longer than the first, the press just as soft and gentle. This time, there was a quiet little sound when they pulled apart.

“I- thank you, Bull. That was nice. I liked it.”

“Glad I could help.” Bull smiled as he straightened up. His hand lingered for a moment cupping the side of Leaf’s face, tucking a lock of hair behind the elf’s ear before trailing fingertips down his cheek, leaving a tingling glow in their wake. “You hungry?”

“Uh. Yes?” Leaf angled his head as he looked up at Bull. His mind wasn’t where it should be, apparently.

“Let’s go grab some food. Should be time to eat now. The kitchen was making some of those spicy chicken pastries you like.”

Leaf’s face split into a wide grin at the news. He slid his legs off of the bed and stood in front of Bull, bouncing on his toes a few times before he caught himself.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” he took one of Bull’s hand in both of his and tugged. “Let’s go! Before they’re all gone.”

 

***

 

The Iron Bull let himself be lead down the stairs by the Inquisitor. Leaf let go to open the door to the main hall, greeting both of the guards as he passed through the opening.

Bull didn’t reach for Leaf’s hand in the hall.

He told himself he didn’t miss the warmth.


End file.
